


A Stray Cat Changes Everything

by AngelFish1214



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Attempted Sexual Assault, Bisexual Female Character, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Lesbian Character, Portals, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tragedy, Triggers, militaryOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:21:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28318884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelFish1214/pseuds/AngelFish1214
Summary: Catriona Gabrielle Burns is a proud squad leader in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines with several years of combat experience. But when she falls through a portal and straight into the world of her favorite show right as things are about to get crazy, with no foreseeable means of returning home, she might just be in a little over her head. Throw in Captain Levi Ackerman, the object of her most embarrassing fantasies demanding answers? She might just give up and let herself drown.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) & Original Character(s), Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Character(s), Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	1. Windows or Doors?

Today started out like any other expedition day. They had gathered at the Trost gate, mustering up their courage as they awaited Eyebrows’ command to move out. The horses stamped anxiously, no doubt feeling the barely held together nerves of their newest batch of cadets. Levi had wondered idly how many of them would survive.  
The citizens cheered them on from the sidelines, staring at him with misplaced awe as he rode past and whispering about ‘Humanities Strongest’. No one seemed to understand his distaste for the title, but he knew it meant jack-shit. When the scouts came back with a cart full of bodies, as they always did, his ‘admirers’ would see him no differently than any other scout as they jeered insults and called them a waste of taxes. They were nothing but shitty hypocrites.  
As Erwin gave the command and the scouts thundered out into lost territory, there was nothing to indicate this expedition would be any different from the others. He really should have known better.

* * *

  
Levi pulls his mare to stand alongside Erwin’s white stallion as they stare into the distant horizon; where dozens of creepy holes have suddenly appeared. Some are several meters in the sky, some at ground level, while others open into the ground beneath them. Through these holes, rather than the black of dirt or blue of the sky, there are images like nothing Levi or anyone else has ever seen.  
The one nearest to them sits only a meter from the ground. It is several meters tall and about two meters wide. The edges of the hole are distorted, and through the center is a street with several large buildings on either side. The street is pitch black, and doesn’t appear to be made of brick or stone. Several brightly colored, oddly shaped carriages that are somehow self-drawn are speeding away from them, and hundreds of people scream in terror and flee from the titan that had just crawled through.  
As soon as the holes appeared, swarms of titans had flooded to them, completely ignoring the scouts as they retreated to observe the situation. Levi turns to Erwin with a raised brow.  
“Do you have any damn clue what’s going on?”  
Erwin turns to face him. He appears at first glance their calm and collected commander, but his wide eyes give him away.  
“I haven’t the slightest idea.”  
The sound of galloping hooves catches their attention. They turn to watch Hange approach at break-neck speed. She barely stops her horse from barreling into them. Levi can tell by the ear-splitting grin and dilated pupils that she is quickly approaching mania.  
“Commander Erwin! Do you see this!? Do you think anyone has seen anything like it before? It’s like a window to a whole different world! And the titans are drawn to it like flies.”  
Levi scoffs at her excitement, but Erwin turns back to the strange “window” with a pensive look.  
“Another world? Then, they’re more like doors. But where exactly do they lead? And why have they opened? The titans can go through them. Can something from the other side come here as well?”  
As if hearing his question, a figure falls from one of the doors a few kilometers to their right. It disappears into the tree line; and then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the doors are gone. Erwin stares blankly for a moment, then turns sharply to him with a determined stare.  
“Let’s go. We need to get to whoever that was before the titans do.”  
Levi digs his heels into Blue’s sides and urges her into a full gallop. As he approaches the forest he stands in the saddle, and with a burst of gas, launches from the horse’s back and flies through the trees. He can hear Hange and Erwin quickly falling in behind him.  
Two titans pop out of the canopy as he approaches the place where the figure fell. Levi turns one blade backwards and pushes himself into a whirlwind with another burst of gas. To an outsider, it would look like the titans were cut down simultaneously as blood and steaming chunks of flesh burst from the back of their necks. The beasts collapse, and the small clearing is obscured by steam as they quickly decompose.  
Erwin and four eyes land beside him. They keep their eyes peeled as they wait for the steam to dissipate. After several minutes, the trio finally spots the fallen figure laying barely a meter in front of them. Hange gasps excitedly and dashes forward before either of them can stop her. When the steam clears away completely, Levi and Erwin approach Hange with apprehension. The figure is revealed to be a woman.  
She lays on the forest floor in a crumpled heap. Her left leg is twisted at an odd angle, probably broken during her fall. A dark red stain seeps slowly through her strangely patterned blouse. The blouse is brown interspersed with small patches of black and forest green that blend in almost perfectly with their surroundings. Levi’s gaze moves toward the woman’s face as Hange pulls bandages from a pouch on her side and begins fussing over the stomach wound.

Her skin is extremely pale and her expression twisted into a pained grimace. A dusting of light freckles covers the bridge of her nose, and thin strands of bright copper hair frame her face messily, having fallen from her braided bun. His gaze is pulled down back down to her chest where he spots some lettering stitched in black thread over top of each breast pocket. The left reads “U.S Marines”, and over the right, the word “Burns”. Levi’s fingers brush instinctively over the scouts patch on his chest, which has his name sewn into the back so that his body could be identified.  
He glances down at her feet, which are dressed in brown boots that are clearly designed for utility rather than fashion. He rubs her trouser between two fingers. The material is sturdy, and the loose style allows for ease of movement and breathability. On her hip is an empty holster that he thinks is designed to hold a pistol. Levi cuts his gaze to Erwin, who is looking at him expectantly.  
“She’s some type of soldier.”  
Erwin nods his head.  
“I think you’re r—”  
“Holy shit! Guys! You have to look at this.”  
Levi growls at Hange’s interruption and turns to ask her what the hell she’s going on about, but shock freezes the words on his tongue. Hange is holding up the girl’s left arm, and there, tattooed on her forearm, is the wings of freedom. Pink flowers bloom from the top and bottom of the shield, and to the left, in a small looping script that runs parallel to the shield’s side, are the words “No regrets”. His eyes widen.   
Hange runs her fingers over the pink flowers, and the stare she pins him with is a mix of sadness and disbelief.  
“Levi…These flowers…They’re magnolias.”  
Instantly, Isabel’s bright smiling face flashes in front of his eyes and he reaches out to trace the ink blossoms. It takes him several moments to work through his shock and force his lips to move.  
“What…the hell is going on here?”  
Erwin clears his throat. Hange and Levi turn to see him rising to his feet.  
“I don’t know what’s going on, but it is clear this woman somehow knows information about us that shouldn’t be possible. We must get her back to the walls immediately.”  
Erwin pulls a signal flare from his belt and fires a yellow smoke round into the air to signal an immediate retreat. Hange quickly jumps to her feet, nodding her head with a determined gleam in her eye.  
“Yes Sir! Levi, can you carry her? With her wounds she’ll need to be moved very carefully, and you’re maneuvering skills are much smoother than mine.”  
Levi looks back to the unconscious girl. Hange had wrapped her stomach and braced the leg, but her wounds could reopen or become worse if she was jostled around too much. He snaps himself from his stupor and lifts the brat carefully onto his back. They make it to the rest of the regiment and he lays her down gently on a cart. He rides next to it the whole way back to Trost, never taking his eyes off the copper haired soldier.  
His mind roils with questions. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she fall through the weird door and end up here? How does she know about the scouts? But most importantly, how the hell did she seem to know about one of the most intimate details of his life?  
He looks away from her at last as the gate comes into view. His dark blue eyes narrow and he clenches his jaw to keep his expression neutral. Levi doesn’t know the answers to any of these questions, but he will find out soon, by any means necessary.


	2. Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Lots of cursing.

Bored sea-green eyes sweep over rows of the equally bored faces of her platoon as their commander prattles endlessly on the auditorium stage. She waits in the wings for her turn to speak with arms crossed over her chest. Lieutenant Sullivan is an amazing officer, one of the best she’s ever had; but like all officers he has one major flaw. He’s fucking terrible at public speaking. What should have been a simple ‘good work on deployment. Here’s what we accomplished, here’s what we didn’t.’ has turned into a 45-minute rant about…hell, she doesn’t even know at this point.  
Catriona glances to her left. The wall clock blinks an eerie neon green 17: 00. They were supposed to be released on post deployment leave 30 minutes ago, and she still has to give her brief. Cat sighs deeply and shakes her head with a small smile. Well, that’s the marines for you, always on time except when it’s time to go home.  
“Alright, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time. Staff Sergeant Burns will conduct your safety brief, and then you are dismissed.”  
Cat stands tall and makes her way onto the stage at a brisk march. She takes the microphone from Sullivan with a curt nod and turns to the sea of impatient, eager marines, while their lieutenant quietly takes his leave. He had purposely chosen the auditorium to gather in so that he could get away without a real formation. Some of the newer joins rise from their seats expecting to be called to attention, but he waves them off and disappears from the room. Cat smothers a smirk as she raises the mic.  
“Let’s get right to it then. I want to get the hell out of here just as much as you do. So, we’re about to go on leave. Who can tell me one thing we shouldn’t do?”  
A burly sergeant with dirty blonde hair that flirts dangerously close to being out of regulations stands from his seat. He grins lazily as her answers her with his usual drawl.  
“Drugs, ma’am.”  
She nods and he retakes his seat. Cat reminds herself to get on him about his shaggy ass hair later, then moves on.  
“Thank you, Sgt. Wilkes. That’s right. Drugs are bad. I know some of you think you can get away with it. Trust me, I know all the little tricks you fuckers use to make a piss test inconclusive. But listen, eventually you will get caught, and you will get sent home with a dishonorable discharge. So, before you make a stupid decision that’ll ruin your future, just stop and think for a moment about how hard you worked to get here. Alright, someone give me another one.”  
This time, a towering man with baby blue eyes and a dark buzz cut stands. Next to him, Cat’s other two squad leaders, a younger male with mocha skin and dark curly hair and a woman with short golden locks, grin up at her from their front row seats. Cat resists the urge to roll her eyes.  
“Sit the fuck down Young. I know damn well that my squad leaders know how to behave. I need to make sure our junior marines do. You, stand up and tell me something we don’t do on leave.”  
She points at a red-headed boy with dark, thick rimmed glasses and no insignia on his collar. He looks piss scared as he stands up at attention. Damn, he must be brand fucking new. He answers her with a shout.  
“Aye-Aye Staff Sergeant! We don’t drink and drive!”  
Her squad leaders barely stifle their laughter. She quiets them with a glare. Maybe she should recommend their sorry asses for instructor school. That would fix their shitty bearing real fast.  
“Thank you private. You have a whole room full of people you can call if you need a ride. Designate a driver. Call a taxi. Have a plan. And if the plan fails and your drunk ass is thinking about driving home at 2am cus’ no one else will answer their phone, you better fucking call me. I will get you back safely. No questions asked. Now that we’ve got the big ones outta the way, I’m going to go over a few more little ones.”  
Cat lets her blue-green gaze sweep over the room again. Sensing she’s almost done, there’s clear excitement on many of her marines faces.   
“Number 3: Sex. I know you’re gonna have it. Make double sure it’s consensual, and fucking wrap it up okay? Four: Don’t get in any damn fights. Believe it or not, I have a life too. So, if I have to come in during my vacation because one of you assholes couldn’t keep your hands to yourselves, I promise you’ll regret it. Finally, just make good decisions. If you have to stop and think about whether you should be doing something, don’t do it. That’s it. You’re free to go.”  
The auditorium empties quickly. She raises a brow as her squad leaders approach with excited grins.  
“You guys suck.”  
The golden-haired sergeant laughs airily and throws an arm around her. Sky blue eyes shine with glee as she leans into the embrace, and Cat feels suddenly much too warm.  
“Relax, Burns. We were just trying to help. Now let’s go! I want to get on the road before the traffic is impossible.”  
Catriona owns a vacation house a few hours north of Camp Pendleton, in Santa Barbara. For the last three years, she and her squad leaders have kept the tradition of spending the first week after every deployment there. It doesn’t take long at all for them to change and get on the road. Once they’re out of the city, the fresh ocean breeze on her face as they drive along the coast brings a relaxed smile to her face. Her comrades sing along to the radio and laugh uproariously as they trade memories.  
Brianna glances over to her, golden tresses flying wildly around her heart shaped face as the wind blows in from the passenger side window. Her fingers brush innocently against Cat’s resting on the shifter. Catriona sucks in a breath, pulls her hand away, and turns her gaze back to the road. She watches from the corner of her eye as Brianna purses her lips and sighs, before turning to stare moodily out the window.

* * *

Her eyes flutter open, and Catriona lays still for several moments trying to will the dream into reality. Damn. If she hadn’t been so stubborn, Cat could have had so much more time with her golden-haired little piece of sunlight.  
Eventually, she has to accept that she can’t will Brianna into existence, and she won’t be able to go back to sleep. She sits up in the unfamiliar bed. The scratchy, thick cotton blanket falls from hair shoulders and she notes the clean bandaged wrapped around her torso. Strands of dirty copper hair fall into her eyes, and she brushes it behind her ear as she takes in her surroundings. The walls and floor are stone, and a torch burns high up on one windowless wall.  
Catriona turns her head to the left and gasps sharply. The wall to her left is made up of iron bars. Several torches line the wall on the other side of them, and there, leaning against the stone with arms and legs crossed is a man she would recognize anywhere. She doesn’t know how it’s possible, but there isn’t a doubt in her mind. The steel grey eyes of Captain Levi stare through her as if she were made of glass and she shudders under his gaze. Her voice is hoarse, and her throat scratchy and dry from thirst.  
“Holy shit. Talk about deja-vu.”  
The moment she speaks, Levi pushes off the wall. He pulls a ring of keys from his pocket, unlocks the cell door, and shuts it behind him. Catriona keeps perfectly still as he stalks toward her, partly from fear of provoking him, but mostly from shock at the fact that he’s here in the flesh and no longer just a character on a screen.  
He leans over, grips tightly onto her left wrist and pulls her arm up so she’s looking at the tattoo on her forearm. The black and white wings of freedom perfectly match the patch on his breast pocket. Of course, she’s pretty sure it’s the flowers and the script that have his eyes shining with distrust and the promise of violence. The smooth baritone of his voice sends and involuntary shiver down her spine as he finally speaks.  
“Start Talking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed back is loved! Thank you for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks. Hope you enjoy getting to know our Cat a little bit.


	3. Interrogation

After serving twelve years on active duty, several combat deployments, and countless life-threatening situations, it takes a hell of a lot to rattle Cat. But Levi’s cold glare sends an immediate shiver of fear down her spine. She knows exactly what this man is capable of, the things he will do for the sake of humanity, and she has no desire to experience them firsthand. The dim torch light cast Levi’s sharp features in shadow and his steel gray eyes glint dangerously. Despite her fear, Catriona can’t help but admire her all-time favorite character.

The dark circles underneath his eyes are even more pronounced than his on-screen counterpart, but they do surprisingly little to detract from his handsome face. He is terrifyingly beautiful, and Cat swallows thickly as his eyes narrow impatiently and the grip on her wrist tightens just enough to cause discomfort. She wets her chapped lips and asks hoarsely.

“Where would you like me to start?”

His eyes widen slightly, his grip on her wrist falters, and Cat suppresses a chuckle at his obvious confusion. Guess he’s not used to people being so forthcoming. Two seconds later his expression hardens, and his smooth baritone is laced with an unspoken threat. He doesn’t need to tell her what he’ll do if she lies to him.

“The flowers. There’s no way it’s just a coincidence, especially combined with those words that only Erwin and myself should know. How do you know about Isabel?”

Cat bites her lips hesitantly.

“Levi, you’ll just think I’m lying…or crazy.”

“I just watched you fall from a weird ass hole in the sky. And, you know my name even though there’s no way you should. Try me.”

Cat hesitates still. How far will his questioning go? And if he actually believes her and realizes exactly what her knowledge could be used for, will she be forced to tell him? She shudders to think of the possible consequences meddling with their future might bring. And yet…there is so much good it could do. How many of the gruesome, pointless deaths that are destined to occur in this world could she prevent? Is it worth it?

The faces of her squad leaders, her best friends, come to her mind along with a painful tightening in her chest. She was prepared to lose them in combat. They certainly wouldn’t be the first people she had lost to a gunshot or an IED blast. But to watch them be torn apart and eaten…even twelve years witness to the horrors of war hadn’t prepared her. No one deserves to suffer such an agonizing death, or bear witness to it. Yes, she will do whatever she can to spare the people of this world from their horrific fates. She’ll just have to tread very carefully. Mind made up, Catriona steels her nerves.

“In the world I came from, You, Erwin, everyone inside the walls, are just characters in a story. I know about Isabel because I read about how you became a scout.”

Levi’s hand leaves her wrist as if she had electrocuted him. His eyes widen drastically and his pale, thin lips even fall open slightly as he tries to process her statement. It takes him much longer to recover his bored demeanor this time, but his voice is still firm, and she’s impressed, though unsurprised by his resilience.

“Let’s say I believe you. If it’s true, you would know much more about me, things that only I should know.”

“Like the fact that Kenny the Ripper was your guardian? That he found you barely alive in that little room with your poor mother’s corpse? That she got sick from one of her customers? That her name was Kuchel? Is that enough for you?”

His hands are clenched so tightly she’s worried he’ll break the skin, and his eyes burn with rage, but considering he hasn’t beat the life out of her yet, she doesn’t think it’s directed at her. His response is so quiet she has to strain her ears to catch it.

“yes.”

Cat instantly regrets bringing up his mother. Her knowledge of Kenny probably would have been enough. She’s such a bitch.

“Shit man, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“So, this story, it had an ending?”

Damn. That was fast. He is so often overshadowed by the brilliance of people like Erwin and Hange, it’s easy to forget that Levi’s mind is just as sharp as his blades.

“Well, the last few chapters haven’t come out yet, but yes.”

“Then you know the truth, about our world, about the titans. You even know what happens in our future.”

“We don’t know how closely this world aligns with the story. Everything could be different.”

“Maybe. Everything you’ve said so far is correct though, so I doubt it.”

Levi stands straight and makes his way back toward the cell door.

“Where are you going?”

“To get Commander Erwin. This just became a lot bigger than my personal questions.”

Cat bows her head. A curtain of copper hair masks her expression, but the somber tone of her voice betrays her.

“Commander huh. So, Wall Maria has already fallen?”

The sound of his retreating footsteps pauses.

“Yes. A year ago.”

His footsteps fade from her hearing as he locks the cell door behind him and ascends the stone steps. Cat’s mind immediately begins to race. 846. Has the cull already happened? Is there any possible way to stop it? I sick feeling erupts in her throat at the next thought. Should she…even try? If she stops the cull from happening, how many will die of starvation? Or even more likely, how many will die when the starving poor inevitably take up arms against the greedy nobles in the interior? She has witnessed firsthand how brutal a civil war can be. Most times, it leaves a country completely ravaged, never able to come back from the chaos. Her stupidly soft heart had always rebelled at the idea that the cull was a necessary sacrifice. Her analytical, military mind however…

Before she can come to a decision, two sets of footsteps and the creak of her cell door reopening averts her attention. Levi has returned with the blonde commander in tow. Damn. Is it just because he’s standing next to Levi that he looks even more massive than his TV depiction?

Erwin’s calculating ocean blue gaze falls on her, and Cat can practically hear the excitement bouncing around in his scheming brain. He’ll want to know every detail of course. The closet sadist in her head can’t wait to his face when she refuses. Erwin drags a chair into the cell and sits directly in front of her with a wide smile that most would find sincere, welcoming. It puts her on edge, and her sore muscles tense with anticipation of a fight. Levi leans against the wall next to her bed with arms crossed, looking deceptively non-aggressive. The imposing blonde’s tone is light and friendly. If she weren’t acutely aware of the type of man Erwin Smith is, she might have been taken in.

“My name is Erwin Smith, but I think you already know that. May I have the pleasure of knowing your given name, Miss Burns?”

“Nah, Burns’ll do just fine. No need for first names in an interrogation, right?”

Erwin’s eyes narrow and the smile looks much more threatening, but his tone stays friendly.

“I didn’t plan on this being an interrogation. You were rather forthcoming with Captain Levi. Was it a mistake to assume you will answer my questions?”

Cat shrugs carelessly and flips her poor greasy hair behind her shoulder.

“Depends on whatcha wanna know.”

“Everything.”

“Well, we’ve got a problem then. I can’t tell you everything.”

The commander leans forward, all traces of friendliness gone.

“But you have the answers I’m looking for; don’t you Miss Burns?”

“Yes.”

Her reply is curt. No point in lying or beating around the bush.

“Then why won’t you give them? I had hoped the fact that our symbol is inked on your arm meant you’re sympathetic to our cause. Was I wrong?”

“No. I want to help you. But I can’t just give you all the answers. It’s way too dangerous.”

Erwin’s bushy eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“Dangerous? How?”

Cat groans with frustration and rubs her face. How the hell is she supposed to explain the possible consequences of messing with time and predetermined events to people who haven’t even discovered electricity? Uggh!

“Miss Burns. Do you know how many lives we have lost to the titans? We have been ignorant for so long, and now a new and even more dangerous enemy has appeared at our doorstep. The fate of humanity teeters precariously on the edge between hope and despair. It’s your responsibility to—”

“Don’t you fucking lecture me about responsibility. I know exactly who you are Erwin Smith, and where your priorities lie.”

Erwin’s glare is outright malicious now. A cruel smirk pulls at his lips and he rises from the chair to tower over her.

“Then you know that I will do what is necessary to get the answers I need.”

“What are you gonna do, torture me? Are ya gonna be a fucking man and do it yourself then? Or will you make your Captain do it for you?”

Cat jumps from her seat, stifling the pained scream as her leg and stomach protest. She snarl’s as she stands toe to toe with the commander.

“I’ll tell you right now yer wasting yer damn time. In my world, they train soldiers on how to deal with torture y’know. The ones with sensitive information anyway. If torture’s the way ya wanna do this, ya might as well just have Levi kill me now.”

A look of total shock crosses the blonde’s face, and he takes a small step back from her. Cat wills away the vicious bark of laughter at her little victory. Against the wall, Levi’s eyes are wide as saucers. She’s really surprised he hasn’t kicked her yet. Erwin recovers himself enough to speak and she returns her attention to him.

“You’re really willing to die rather than help us?”

Cat rolls her eyes, sits back on her cot before her broken leg gives out, and grits her teeth against the shooting pain.

“Is that what I said dumbass? I told you I want to help. I have every intention of giving you answers. I just can’t give you all of them at once. It’s too damn risky.”

Slowly, Erwin retakes his seat, straightening his bolo tie and brushing imaginary dirt from his immaculate white uniform pants.

“Can you tell me why it’s too risky then?”

Damn. Not even an apology for threatening her with torture? Ruthless bastard.

“I’m not sure how, to be honest. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not sure your scientific knowledge is advanced enough to really understand. Even in my world it’s an entirely theoretical concept that people spend their whole damn lives studying. I only know the basics.”

Erwin folds his hands in his lap. There’s nothing but honest curiosity in his expression now, and Cat lets her shoulders relax.

“Will you try?”

Cat runs a hand through her hair. Damn, she would kill for a hair tie. Maybe she should just chop it off again.

“Yeah, I’ll try. Do you have a chalkboard? Or pencil and paper at least? It might help.”

Erwin rises with a curt nod and makes his way toward the stairs.

“I’ll have Hange bring one down. She should be here anyway.”

A few minutes later, she and Levi are alone again, and Cat breathes a sigh of relief and sags against the stone wall with eyes closed.

“Do you hate Erwin?”

Reluctantly, Cat opens her eyes to see Levi staring at her curiously. Well, she assumes he’s curious. She can’t really tell from his perfectly stoic face.

“Nah. He’s a total bastard, but the scouts wouldn’t get anywhere without him.”

“Then why were you so angry? Before he threatened you.”

Cat shakes her head with a dry laugh.

“Because he was being a hypocrite, pretending he doesn’t care more about his personal agenda than the fate of humanity. He is the last person who should be lecturing me.”

Seeing his conflicted expression, she is quick to reassure him.

“Look, don’t worry. Your faith in Erwin isn’t misplaced. His personal agenda won’t interfere with the scouts’ mission. So, stop looking so constipated.”

Levi smirks at her shitty joke and she has to fight to keep the grin off her face. Ha! She got him with his own awful, bone dry humor.

The door at the top of the stairs opens with a clang, and Hange’s excited babbling floats from the staircase into her cell. Levi scoffs irritably and glares sharply at her when a giggle escapes her cracked lips. Hange bursts into the cell in the next moment and Erwin follows close behind her, closing the cell door before taking his seat. The scientist plops down next to her and thrusts a charcoal pencil and sketchbook eagerly into her hands.

“Hello there! I’m Hange Zoe! It’s so great to finally meet you. Erwin tells me you have some science to explain to us. Well, what are you waiting for? I’ve got my own book here to take notes!”

Hange’s grin is contagious. Despite her pain and the stress of what she’s gotten herself into, Cat can’t help but grin heartily back at the titan fanatic.

“It’s nice to meet you too Hange. My name’s Catriona, but it’s a real mouthful so you can just call me Cat.”

There’s a derisive snort from Levi as he mumbles.

“Tch. Sure, you tell the crazy woman your name.”

Erwin clears his throat before she can retort and gestures to the sketchbook with a raised brow. Cat rolls her eyes but opens the book to the first blank page and tries to decide the best way to start. With a sigh, she presses the charcoal to paper and draws a single line.

“Okay. So, we think of time as moving forward in a straight line, right?”

She draws several X’s spaced apart on the line.

“And there are several events on that line that make up our lives. So, what happens if we go back and change something? Let’s say someone dies in the future, but we use our knowledge to make sure they live. Time can’t continue on that same line, so it breaks off into its own altered timeline.

Here’s where the problem comes. Some events are changeable. Whether they happen or not is based on a person’s decision. But what if some events are predetermined? What if they are destined to happen no matter what? Now the altered timeline must find a different way to make that happen.

That’s what makes trying to change the future so dangerous. We have no idea what the consequences will be. It could be nothing, or it could be that 10 more people die who weren’t supposed to in order to make that one person we saved die anyway. Does that make sense?”

Hange scribbles furiously in her notebook while Erwin fixes her with a pensive stare.

“I believe so. By trying to change one thing that just can’t be changed, we could cause an even worse thing to happen. So, how do we determine which events are predetermined?”

Cat shakes her head with a long-suffering sigh.

“We can’t. We can make our best guess, but none of us are omniscient. That’s why I can’t reveal everything all at once. If we take this one event at a time, I think we stand a better chance of not royally fucking things up. As much as it sucks, there are some really shitty things that just have to happen without interference.”

“Like what?”

Cat hesitates, digging her fingers into her arms, but when she meets Erwin’s gaze her sea green eyes are hard.

“Like the cull. It’s absolutely vile, but if the numbers aren’t thinned the people within the walls will face starvation and civil war.”

Everyone’s faces become hard as stone. Even bright, bubbly Hange bows her head in shame. Her usually exuberant tone is subdued as she questions.

“Is there really nothing we can do?”

Cat speaks to Erwin specifically.

“Do you think there’s anyway to make the government rescind their decision?”

A moment of silence, the Cat’s heart stutters when Erwin shakes his head.

“No.”

Cat sighs and instinctively reaches out to squeeze the scientist’s shaking hands.

“This world is cruel, but there’s still hope. Maybe I fell into this world for a reason. I don’t know how much we’ll be able to change, but I want to try. I just need you to trust me.”

Erwin stares her down for what feels like forever. Then he extends his hand to her, and Cat shakes it firmly.

“If we’re going to trust you, it would help if we knew a little but about you. Will you answer some personal questions for me?”

“Yea. Go ahead.”

“What do you know about the doors that opened? How did you come to fall through one?”

Cat ignores the pang in her chest as memories come rushing back. It’s all still so fresh in her mind. She really doesn’t want to relive it so soon. But she needs them to trust her. With a deep breath, Cat turns her head to Levi still leaning against the wall and hides her hurt with a smirk.

“You may want to sit down Levi. It’s kind of a long story.”

The black-haired Captain scoffs but drags another chair into her cell and sirs gracefully next to Erwin.

“Go on, brat. We don’t have all day.”

Cat resists the urge to stick her tongue out.

“Well, it started while my squad leaders and I were on our post deployment vacation…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this took me so long. Been dealing with tons of stuff. I hope you enjoyed it! Next time we'll learn about what exactly happened to Cat before she wound up here. Till next time! 
> 
> Oh, for those of you who are also following Beautiful Monsters, next chapter is written and will be posted tomorrow. Love y'all!

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to do a military OC for so long! Updates for this might be slow, because i'm trying to focus on my other fics. This is just a pilot basically. If enough interest is shown, Ill keep going with it. Let me know what you think :)


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